


Just A Little Off

by Latia



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Caretaking, Gen, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-17
Updated: 2013-06-17
Packaged: 2017-12-15 08:02:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/847206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latia/pseuds/Latia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When John gets a fever, he REALLY gets a fever. Thankfully the others are there to help him--though, they can't help but notice something a little strange.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just A Little Off

By the time Jade's gotten all the curtains closed, John finally stirs. "U....huh?"

Jade turns around to smile brightly at him. "Good morning, again!"

Glasses-less, John squints at her. "Wha....did something happen? I already woke up...and went downstairs and..." Groaning, he presses a hand to his forehead. "And my head is _killing_ me."

"You basically passed out in your Cheerios." Jade strides up to him and lays the back of her hand on his forehead. "Yup, still burning. And sweating." She makes a face and quickly swipes her hand on her skirt. "Yeah, it's safe to say at this point you're looking at the business end of a fever."

John manages to give a weak try at his usual gusty sigh before flopping down on his bed. "Great. Super. At least it's a Saturday." He licks his lips. "Uh, could I have some-"

"Water?" Jade is instantly there with a glass.

"Y-yeah." He smiles weakly. "Thanks."

"No problem! You should be staying hydrated, anyways." Jade watches as he quickly empties it. "For now I think the best thing for you will be sleep. And water. I left a full pitcher by your glasses."

John half-laughs. "What, no cake?"

Jade rolls her eyes. "Pfft, right John. After the last couple of years I doubt that'll exactly make you feel better."

"What?"

Something about his tone makes Jade turn back to him. Despite the fever, he's sitting up and looking vaguely alarmed.

"Uh." She raises an eyebrow. "What what?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Be....cause you don't really like cake?"

"Why would you think that? I don't think that. Your cakes are fine."

 _Her cakes?  _ Jade tried her hand at baking alongside Nannasprite a few years back, but it had turned out that she had missed out on the Harleybert baking gene. In short, she wasn't a baker, and she hadn't blamed Davesprite and John for politely (loudly) turning down second helpings of her attempts.

Why bring that up now?

"John are you feeling oka-?" She stops. Dumb question. "Iiiiii think your fever scrambled your head a little bit." It's not a lie, his eyes are getting a dull, slightly unfocused look to them. "You should get some rest."

John stares at her anxiously for a moment, only to have whatever panic had seized him leak out like air exiting a balloon. "Uh. Yeah, I should. Do that." He sinks into his pillow.  "'m tired."

"Right. Try to sleep a bit." Jade heads for the door. "If you need anything you can call us."

"Er..." He sounds hesitant, as if he's about to question her, but he trails off. "Right, okay. Thanks."

She smiles. "You're welcome!" Jade hits the light and closes the door behin-

"Wait!"

Her head whips around. "What's wrong?"

In the dull darkness of the room, lit up from the hall, Jade can barely see John's face. And yet, under the fever and exhaustion, _worry_ radiates from his face. It couldn't be more obvious if someone had written UPSET on his forehead in fluorescent pink paint.

"Are you...mad at me?"

"...what?" Jade turns to face him fully. "Of course not! Why would you think that?"

He opens his mouth...and shuts it. "N. Nevermind. I just....nevermind. It's okay."

"...okay."

She frowns as the door shuts behind her.

* * *

TG: hows our patient doing   
  
GG: still sweaty, still headachy :\   
  
TG: yeah thought as much   
  
TG: never fear babe ill be back in like two minutes   
  
TG: got a clinics worth of ibuprofen tylenol   
  
TG: the works   
  
TG: we had like nothing in the medical cabinet what the hell   
  
GG: wow dave who would have thought you were such a mother hen!   
  
GG: save me some of that, i think im getting the vapors!!   
  
GG: ;P   
  
TG: haha hilarious as always harley   
  
TG: anyways ill take over eggbert sitting when i get back   
  
GG: oh! well   
  
TG: well what   
  
GG: nothing, but   
  
GG: johns just   
  
GG: a little off   
  
TG: a little off   
  
TG: okay   
  
GG: its nothing bad!! its just the fever making him weird   
  
TG: weird how   
  
GG: well   
  
GG: i think   
  
GG: you will see

* * *

"Delivery for Mister Egbert."

" _mmmmmmnnhhh_ ," says the pillow on top of John's face. 

"Come on Sleeping Beauty, rise and shine." Dave waltzes over and pulls the pillow away. "Be a good boy and take your medicine."

"UGH, _Da-_ " His words are muffled by Dave's hand and three small pills sliding down his throat.

"You'll need to take three of those every six hours," Dave says over John's dry coughs. Or two of these little pink ones. Take my advice: don't take the pink ones. Like you're smoking one of those fancy rich dude pipes and it's full of chalk.""

"Da-" His words are muffled, yet again, by Dave's hand. When he pulls away an electric therometer sits under John's tongue.

"Keep that in until it beeps. Man, can't believe we didn't already have one of these already, Lalonde goes and says don't worry, SHE'll take care of the shopping, SHE'll stock the medicine cabinet, I go and find like half a thing of bandages and some baby wipes. Amazing."

"Hroose lalouf?"

"Exactly. Consider yourself lucky you have me around. That's it." Dave pulls the beeping therometer from John's mouth with a pop. "So that's.... a hundred and three." Dave's eyebrows make a rare appearence from behind his shades. "Shit, that's...not so hot."

John stares at him.

"I mean, it's not terrible or anything, it's too early to be hiring me for your eulogy or anything, but like. Damn, congratulations for breaking a hundred just with the act of existing. This isn't elementary sickness, this is high school teen pregnant sickness busting its ass to get a diploma in being si--"

"Since when do you swear?"

John stares at him like he's grown an extra head. Dave feels about the same way.

"Since....always?" He gives him a look. "Like, seriously man, where have you been the past few fucking years?"

John's eyebrows look as if they're trying to make a break for the ceiling. "Are you...feeling okay?"

"Dude, you're the one sweating over a hundred."

"' _Dude? "_ Dave is seriously beginning to fear for those eyebrows. "Is this one of those things where you try acting 'cool?' to 'connect' with me?"

"Excuse the hell out of you, who's 'acting?' And drop those 'awkward' 'quotes' 'around' 'every' 'word' before you hurt your--."  _johns just a little off_. Green words appear in Dave's head as clear as day. "...fine. Whatever, you're sick off your ass and god knows what. Just go back to sleep." He turns for the door, reaching for the light-

"Woah, wait!"

He does a full 180. "What."

John's forehead is doing that weird crinkly thing it does when he thinks he's fucked up. "Um...did I make you mad?"

 _For the love of-_ "Crying out loud, first Jade and now me? What is up with you and thinking everyone's mad at you for daring to catch a bug?"

"I never said--wait, _Jade_?"

"Yes, _Jade_?"

"H-how have you been talkng to Jade? Are you..." John looks as if he's trying to be mad, but he just ends up looking vaguely displeased in Dave's general vicinity. "Are you....sneaking....reading....my chat logs?"

Dave stares.

_just a little off._

"No, I--look, forget it man, nevermind. Get some rest." Dave shakes his head, turning back to the door-

"Well, _are_ you mad?"

Dave

pauses.

"...no man, of course not."

"...okay." Behind him Dave can hear him settling back into bed. "And, uh. Forget what I said. You're...you know. Cool."

Dave looks back at him.

"Damn straight I am."

* * *

TG: when i left he hadnt puked or anything but i dont want to take any chances   
  
TG: just check up on him   
  
TG: i mean nothing should be wrong i left like a billion pills and refilled his pitcher   
  
TT: My, Dave, who knew you were such a mother hen?   
  
TG: man why does everyone keep   
  
TG: forget it   
  
TG: just drop by and make sure hes    
  
TG: you know   
  
TG: okay   
  
TT: I talked to Jade. She said that John had seemed vaguely confused when she had spoke with him.   
  
TT: Judging by that almost obscenely prominent pause you took a few lines back, I'm guessing you felt the same way?   
  
TG: okay one dont do that thing where you try to figure out what im thinking by a one and a half second gap between texts   
  
TT: And two?   
  
TG:   
  
TG: yeah hes   
  
TG: acting kind of weird   
  
TG: just a little   
  
TG: off   
  
TT: In what way?   
  
TG: youll see

* * *

When Rose opens the door, she finds John Egbert replaced with a lump under a comforter.

"May I come in?" The lump shifts vaguely, and she crosses the threshold.  "I'll take that as a yes. You know, you really shouldn't do that in your condition."

"'ts cold." His voice is weak and dry. Even as she approaches it's difficult to make out his words. "'ts cold, and 'ts hot, and it fucking _sucks_."

She sighs. "As all-powerful and brilliant as I am, even I can't navigate the mysteries of the human body. If it helps, you might feel better if you drank some more..." Her eyes slide to his now-empty pitcher. "...water."

"Mm, I ran out a while back, I didn't want to bother y-." Within seven seconds she's down in the kitchen and refilling it. Jade would have been impressed with how quickly she returns.

"You should have said something," Rose chides gently as she refills his glass.

"Sorry, I said I di...yeah." She can see his train of thought derail as she places the water in his hands. Tilting the glass back, he drains it within ten seconds. 

"Feel better?"

"Y. Yeah." He hiccups. "Thanks."

"It's no trouble at all. Do you need anything else?"

He seems to take a moment to answer. "No."

"Then I'll leave you to get some rest." Rose walks to the door-

"Wait..."

She tilts her head towards him. "Yes?"

"...are...are you SURE you're not mad at me?"

Rose turns to fully face him. "Why would you think I was mad at you?"

"You just...I dunno, you were acting kind of....weird. Earlier. Not yourself."

_This is the first time we've seen each other all day._

"How so?" she finally says.

His gaze is slightly off-center but he looks at her as best he can. "Just...not..yourself. Talking weird, and..."

"And?"

"And you didn't..." Is it just her or is he reddening? "...whatever, nevermind."

"John, you know there's no stupid questions. What did I do that made you think I was mad?"

"..." He scratches his nose, not looking at her. "I guess...I expected you to say something. Like...God, I dunno. 'I'm so proud of you for being sick or something.'"

Rose frowns. "Why would I say something like that?"

"Because you always say something like that, I guess."

"When do I--"

 

Oh.

_Oh_.

 

"...uh, Dad?" John frowns, concerned. "Are you okay?"

 

 

"...I'm fine, John."

"But why are you making that fa-?"

"John, you...you know I'm proud of you. I am. We all are."

"...uh." He's not quite sure how to respond. "Right. Right, of course you are." John smiles lopsidedly. "Pfft, _of course_ you are, Dad."

"Yes."

"...er, well." John lays down again. "I'm feeling really super tired all of a sudden, so. I think I'm going to sleep."

"Good idea."

"Well, uh, thanks again." He turns to the wall. "For everything."

John listens to his father's footsteps quietly disappear down the hallway.

* * *

 

  
TT: You were right.

GG: yeah

GG: i was afraid so

* * *

The next morning John walks down the stairs early, fit as a fiddle. He scratches his head awkwardly as everyone eagerly recaps his faceplant into his breakfast. They all laugh.

Between all of the usual morning chatter, the idea of bringing up his weird fever dreams drifts through his head several times, but each time he drops it. They're just dreams, he decides. 

There's more important things to worry about. It's a beautiful June day.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Happy (late) Father's Day.


End file.
